Coping with the Anniversary of a Loved One’s Death

A case of mistaken identity turns into a sense of security for an octogenarian.

Losing someone we love is one of life's most profound experiences, and finding a meaningful way to memorialize them can bring great comfort during the grieving process. While keeping a traditional urn at home is a time-honored choice, today there are more ways than ever to celebrate a life well lived. One of the most personal options is transforming ashes into wearable keepsakes. Some companies will pressurize ashes into a diamond, which you can then set into a ring, necklace, or other jewelry item of your choice. Our very own Director of Community Relations, Kim Shute, took some of the ashes of her late husband and made a diamond ring, which she absolutely loves. Parting Stone is another company that offers a beautiful way to memorialize your loved one by transforming their ashes into a collection of polished stones that can be held, shared, and cherished forever. The process uses scientific precision to solidify cremated remains into clean, ceramic-like stones that vary in size, shape, color, and texture — making each collection as unique as the individual it honors. Rather than an urn tucked away in a closet, families can carry the stones in their pocket, display them in a memorial garden, scatter them meaningfully, or divide them so that everyone who loved the person can keep a piece close — making Parting Stones a deeply personal and lasting way to stay connected to those we've lost. For those who feel a connection to nature, there are several meaningful earth-friendly options. Tree urns allow a loved one's ashes to nourish and give life to a tree, which provides a living, growing tribute that endures for generations. Another eco-conscious option is a coral reef memorial, where ashes are incorporated into a concrete reef structure that helps restore natural marine habitats. Scattering ashes in a meaningful location is another deeply personal choice. If your loved one had a passion for travel, you could take their ashes on a journey and scatter them in places that were meaningful to them — perhaps somewhere they always dreamed of visiting. Scattering at sea can also be a beautiful send-off, especially if they loved the beach or were a boating enthusiast. For the creatively inclined, ashes can be woven into works of art. You can commission an artist to create a painting using paint mixed with your loved one's ashes, with popular choices including a portrait of the deceased or a scene from their favorite landscape. Companies can also press ashes into a vinyl record , allowing you to preserve a loved one's favorite songs as a lasting musical tribute. As you can see, there are so many ways that we can honor our loved one’s ashes. If you have any questions, reach out to us!

Asking for help with heavy snow today may be the very thing that keeps you independent longer tomorrow.

A movie about figuring out who to spend eternity with.

As society evolves, so do the choices we make—especially when it comes to end-of-life care.

This film is based on a true love story of Mike and Claire Sardina. The film follows them from the moment they meet through the many struggles life throws at them.

How many of us wish we could go back in time to soak up more of the people we loved? I for one have wished for this multiple times since the death of my husband. I want to see him again because his life story is all jumbled in my memory. When did he take care of the grounds of that golf course? When did he walk off that roofing job in his 20s because they did not respect him? And I want more details on when he failed out of engineering school only to go back later after our son was born. Since all those things pre-date my entrance into his life, I have no way of finding out. No one in his life would remember or care about what seem like mundane details. The book review we have for you today is about this very topic. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub was written while the author’s father was in the hospital. He had suggested she write a book about a daughter visiting her father in the hospital and that is exactly what she did. I am not a fan of Sci-Fi, but I can tolerate a bit of fantasy. I like my fantasy to be anchored in realism, no blue skin or characters named Tragorin for me. Emma Straub writes a time travel novel without any of the Sci-Fi vibes. Based firmly in realism unless you do the math on how old their pet cat is in 1996 and then in 2020. You may have to suspend your disbelief on that detail. It begins with the main character, Alice, on the eve of her fortieth birthday. Her life seems to be fine, albeit a bit lackluster. Her father who is a single father and famous for writing a time travel novel, is in the hospital. The next morning, Alice wakes up as her 16-year-old self, but she still has all the knowledge of her 40-year-old brain. The book does not have a Groundhog Day like quality to it, but she is trying to change the end result. With her father in the hospital in 2020 she finds herself wanting to spend lots of time with her dad when she goes back in time. She gets to ask all those questions that she did not care about the first time, when she was only consumed with her teen self and friends. This is a love story of a different variety, between a daughter and her dad, between her and her friends, and with herself. This book made me just want to read or listen instead of doing my grown-up responsibilities.  I hope you will give this book a try as it is both hopeful and wonderful.

Have you ever seen a film that stays with you for days and changes the way you approach and look at your own life? You can see the trailer and the film is currently available on Apple TV. This film follows two exceptional poets, Andrea Gibson and Meg Falley on their remarkable journey through love and loss. The cinematography, the words, and the meaning added together provide the audience with a gift. I have not often been a fan of poetry, but Maya Angelou, Amanda Gorman, E.E.cummings, and now Andrea Gibson and Meg Falley have made me reconsider this position. Andrea Gibson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August of 2021, and this is their tale that begins with that news. The couple pull together and keep trying to stay alive through news both pleasant and unpleasant. Their love and dedication are breathtakingly showcased. This film is raw, authentic, uplifting, and deeply sad. It has won 5 awards so far including Festival Favorite at Sundance Film Festival in 2025. Gibson had rock star-like fame before their diagnosis as a spoken word poet. Their early career focused on social justice, gender norms, LGBTQ topics, and politics. After their diagnosis, the topics shifted to depression, mortality, life, illness, and love. This poet expresses feelings, sensations, and ideas that must be witnessed as they capture truths that touch all of our hearts at one time or another. 

When was the last time you sat down with a loved one and asked them questions about their life? Not just the day-to-day conversational questions, but the ones about the big and small moments? For many of us, we probably haven’t had these conversations. Unfortunately, many of us put these conversations off, thinking that we …